Work-bench.



.gesell `DA'IVISTIIELA, OF'HOLLAND, MICHIGAN.

WORK-BENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Uct. 29, 1918.

Implication filed March 24, 191'?. Serial No. 157,267.

To all r11/wm t may concern:

Beit known thatI, PErrnRG. DAMSTRA, aY citizen ofthe United States, residing at IIolland, in the county of Ottawa and State of Michigan, have invented certain `new and useful Improvements in Work-Benches, of which the: following is ,a specilication.

. Myinvention relates to improvements in .work benches and tables, audits objects are: `lirst, to provide a table or `bench that may be readily folded in small space for transferring, storing, shipping, ctc.; second,I to provide a means whereby thelegs of the Vtable or bench .may bereadily fcldedto bringthem into parallel. position, or maybe readily removed from the table, yor-replaced thereon;

third, .to provideanmeans whereby the legs may abe readily. braced or released, when in supporting position on the table.

I. attain vthese .objects by the .mechanism and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawing, 1n which Flgure 1 1s a bottom plan of oneend 4of the bench top --with tthe. legs in folded vposition for storing orshipping. :Fig.z2 is an end elevation of a bench showing the bracing elements. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan of one endof the top showing the several slotsforsecuring and operat- .inggthe .leg supporting rail. Fig. 4 `is a side elevation .of .the bench showing the manner of bracing.` the legsIOngitudinally of the bench. Fig. 5 isa transverse section of the bench 4top on :the line 5, 5 of Fig. 3, showing .the-'manner ofcomiecting the leg supporting rail-.by means of the .slots in the .bench top A1. Fig. i6 is a perspective of the rail `holding v4bracket and bearing, `and Fig. 7 is a` like Aview .of the locking device on the rail.

\ Similar reference characters. refer to simijlar partsithroughout the several views.

In the construction of this ybench I mount `zthewlegs 5 upon detached rails, 2. `These rails are divided at the longitudinal center into halves, and are `connected or assembled in the form of a shiplap, as indicated at 3, in Figs. 41 and 5. The ends ofthe-shiplaps 3 are properly beveled so they may be inade to swing into direct alinement when pivotally secured together at 4, and become so firmly locked together as to render the rail practr cally as rm as an integral rail would be.

When the rail 2, 2is in place on the bench top 1 the lower end of the pivot pin passes into the slot e, and the dovetailed lugs 13, on

the rail, pass into the corresponding slots,

`9, `9, so the bench may be easily moved from place to place or stored in small space, when desiring to extend the legs, as in Figs. 2 `and 4 the rail 2, 2 is swung around into proper alinement, when the dovetailed lugs 13 will becarried around to the open spaces, c, c, in the slots c, d, and the bearings fait on the rail will be ibrought into engagement with the corresponding bearings `on the bracketslO, and the wings 12 will .be made to pass over, and engage the lugs l1 on .the brackets and `draw the ends of the rails into firm engagement with the brackets.

To remove the legs from the bench ltop l it is only necessary to slide the rails 2, 2 from lunder `the brackets 1010 4before the legs are folded against the bench `top 1, as with the rails in this position the lugs 13, 13 are entirely disengaged from the slots (l, d and the rails may be readily removed.

As :it is necessary to provideproper brac- Aings for the legs, when extended to support the bench, I have provided for `bracing .them laterally by means of braces 7,7 which are pivotally connected with ythe rails at the y pivot point 4, and securely connected with the legs at the other end,.as indicated at Z2, I),

from the position shown in Fig.` 1 to the position shown in` Figs. 2 and 4,1 and the free l end of the brace isso formed and arranged that it may be made to rest upon the surface .of .the bench top, perfectly parallel .there- ,.."witl1, and I have arranged brackets, 8, 8 to be secured to the bench top in such a manner that when the braces are extendedv to supporting position they will pass under the ends of said brackets and will be held firmly in position so the legs cannot be swung either toward, or from the braces.

The brackets 8, 8 should be made of spring metal and clamped upon theY wing of the brace suiiciently rmly to avert all danger of the brace swinging out of position. It will be readily understood that this element in my invention may be varied to meet the requirements of any form of brace I may desire to use, hence I do not desire to restrict myself to any special form of securing device for the free ends of the braces.

The wings 12 are iirmly secured to the side of the rail 2, and the brackets 10 are secured to the bench top 1 near the opening c of the slot b-c, so that when the rail 2 is in the position shown in Fig. 2 andthe legs are turned do-wnward into supporting position, the wings 12 will pass over the wings 11 on the brackets 10, and clamp-the rail 2, and the legs, rmly in place so they cannot be removed from the top l without removing the brackets.

The legs 5 are secured to the top 1 by passing the lugs 13, on the rack 2, into the opening c, and when the legs are carried around to the position shown in Fig. 1 the lugs are held in place in the dovetailed portion d of the slot c-d so the legs cannot be swung to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4, or removed from the top until the rail 2 is straightened and the lugs 13 have passed into the open part c of the slot c-fd, in which position the rail is held in place by the brackets 10 and 12, as hereinbefore stated.V

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In combination with a bench top, centrally divided railsl pivotally connected to form a ship lap joint adjacent to the longitudinal centers of the two rails, bevelconnections formed at the meeting ends of the ship laps in the rails for holding them temporarily in extended position, and brackets for holding each rail in operative position.

2. In combination with a bench top having properly formed slots therein, brackets secured to the top to form bearings for revoluble rails, said rails being divided to form a ship lap adjacent its longitudinal center, braces secured to the rail at the pivot point, legs secured at one end to the rails and at the other ends to the braces, dovetailed lugs mounted on one side 'of the said rails in positions to be made to engage the slots in the bench top, and braces for holding the responding brackets on the rails arranged to engage the lugs on the iirst named brackets, the top having a central slot, the rail divided near its longitudinal center to form a ship lap joint and pivotally connected, braces properlyconnected with the legs and the bench top, and means for securing the free ends of the braces to the bench top for temporarily securing the legs in extended position.

e 4:. In combinationwith a bench'tophaving slots in its lower surface, certain of said slots forming dovetailed bearings, a cenposition to be made to engage the dovetailed slots, braces pivotally coimected at the longitudinal center of the rail, legs mounted on Vtrally divided and pivotally connected rail; dovetailed lugs on one side of said rail in the-rail with one end of each leg connected ywith the other ends of said braces, side braces pivotally connected with the legs and arranged to be swung from side to side of the legs, brackets secured to the bench top in position to receive and hold the ends of side braces.

5. In combination with a bench top having properly formed slots in its lower `surface, brackets thereon forming bearings, a

`rail centrally divided and having pivotal connection and locked joints when inalmement, legs mounted on the rail, braces pivotally connected with the pivotal connection of the rail, the opposite ends of the braces rigidly connected 4with the legs, side braces pivotally mounted on the legs, brackets secured to the bench` top inposition to be engaged vby the vends of the side braces, and means for securing the ends of the legs to the surface of the top so they cannot swing out of position.V

' Signed at Grand Rapids, lMichigan,

March 15, 1917.

PETER G. DAMSTRA.

Copies of this patent may 'be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

